Crimson Tides
by A. E Crimson
Summary: Barrett's life changed for the better when she met Maverick and Kendall. They were kind and gentle and made her life worth living. However, as she begins to discover more information about herself more problems begin to arise. With the ones she love surrounding her will she be able to overcome these problems, along with learning to control her new powers?
1. New Horizons

_Rolling over on_ her back Barrett slowly began rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Somehow the smallest strand of light that was peeking through the curtains managed to wake her up. Sighing softly to herself she tried her best to sit up, but couldn't. Looking down she noticed a large arm beneath her head and another one wrapped securely around her waist. She tried to turn her head to catch a better glimpse of the man behind her but his head was tucked into her back and he snoring softly. Clearly, he was unfazed by any of her movements.

 _Typical alpha._ She thought as she rolled her eyes. Snuggling back down into his strong embrace she looked at the other male whose nose was a few centimeters away from hers. His unruly brown hair was in his eyes and he was snoring as well. Slowly, she brought her hand up to the hair that was lying over his eyes and brushed it back to see his face.

 _My sweet Kendall, what would I do without you?_ Just looking at him brought the warmest of feelings to her body and the biggest of smiles to her face. Barrett brushed a feather light kiss over his nose.

 _I'm not sweet._ His thoughts made her giggle and suddenly she was face to face with magnificent green eyes that couldn't even do a clover field justice. He smiled cheekily at her, exposing his dimples that made her swoon. She felt heat begin to rush through her body. With great caution he brought his hand up to her cheek and rested it there, brushing his thumb back and forth against her bottom lip. Teasingly she bit his thumb, holding it between her teeth. Teasingly, he pushed his thumb in between her lips and watched as she slowly began to suck on it. Lust began to pool in his eyes.

 _You two can never let anybody sleep around here._ Releasing Kendall's thumb, she turned around and looked at her alpha. He had reluctantly managed to release her and was now on his back, stretching. The blanket fell as his stretched exposing him and all of his glory to her. He knew what she was thinking and he knew what she was feeling and all he did in return was smirk at her.

And then whiskey colored eyes met amber ones and she was done for this morning. Swiftly, he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her on top of him so that she was straddling him. The only thing she had on was a t shirt from last night so her bottom half was completely exposed. _Just how I like it_ Maverick thought as he brought his hands up to her hips, softly kneading his fingers into them. She stifled a moan by biting her bottom lip.

"Now why do you always do that Mav?" Kendall blurted as he sat up rapidly. The blanket moved and had exposed him too. Another pool of lust surged through Barrett.

Narrowing his eyes Maverick scowled, "You did that on purpose."

Kendall opened his mouth to retort but Barrett stopped them each by placing a soft hand on each of their mouths. "Why do you two always have to bicker so much? I'm here right now, wanting both of you and all you're doing is arguing and it isn't even noon yet." Gripping the hem of her t shirt she quickly dragged it over the top of her head eyeing them both with seriousness.

Before she could even register what happened, Maverick sat up pulling her chest to his own, forcing her legs tighter around his waist. He brought his lips to her check and began leisurely kissing up until he was at the shell of her ear. "I'm sorry my love. We don't mean to. It's just a force of habit." He began nibbling on her ear which forced a small moan to fall from between her lips.

She felt something shuffling behind her and when Maverick bit her ear again her head fell back onto another hard object. Turning around she say Kendall standing behind her, his green eyes still filled with lust. As Maverick began trailing kisses between the valley of her breasts Kendall stole his moment and brought Barrett's mouth to his own. His hand began sneaking around to the front of her body slowly trailing down her midsection. When he finally managed to reach what he was aiming for, she moaned loudly into his mouth snaking her arm around the back of his neck, forcing his mouth to press harder against hers.

"Well isn't this a fun sight to see so early." Barrett, Maverick and Kendall quickly turned to face the bedroom door. At first Barrett's face was bright red from the embarrassment of being caught but then it broke into a huge grin.

 _You have no reason to me embarrassed love._ Maverick continued his tantalizingly slow kisses down the valley of her breasts, now clearly unaffected by the fourth body in the room.

"Hello Ki." The third male in the room smiled warmly and walked over to the bed, a breakfast tray in his hand. It was filled with an assortment of breads and fruits.

 _I leave for ten minutes and it turns into this?_

 _It's not like you missed much._

 _You interrupted anyway so now nothings going to happen._

Maverick abruptly stopped his assault on Barrett's breasts and swiftly smacked Kendall on the back of his head. Instinctively, Kendall's hand reached up to rub the spot. "That hurt."

Maverick rolled his eyes. "I didn't even hit you that hard."

While Maverick and Kendall continued their bickering, Barrett was able to detangle herself from the two men and sit beside Ki at the foot of the large bed. Ki grabbed the sheet off the bed and placed it around her shoulders as she began nibbling on a strawberry.

"What are our plans for the day?" Ki asked lounging across the bed. Maverick got up, stretching again as he did so and walked towards the bathroom. Barrett stopped mid bite to watch her alpha disappear into another room still completely naked. Feeling eyes on him he turned around flirtatiously and winked at her before closing the door.

 _You do things like that on purpose._

 _There's the pot calling the kettle black._

 _I'm surprised you even know that expression._

 _I read a lot, I know plenty more._

Barrett rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that morning and laid flat on her back looking up at the ceiling. As if by second nature Ki laid down on her right and Kendall on her left. "Nobody answered my question about our plans for the day."

Kendall turned to face the two, his elbow on the bed and hand propped up to support his face. "I thought Maverick was taking us somewhere off the grid?"

 _Right. As if Maverick would really take us somewhere remotely away from our security team._

At that moment the bathroom door swung open and Maverick stood glaring. He had a towel hanging low against his waist and the steam from the shower was rolling out from behind him. Water droplets clung to his body and his hair was already starting to dry, bringing his miraculously beautiful curls to life. "I said off the grid, I never said away from security. That would be a death wish."

"Okay then Mr. Badass, where are we going?" Ki grunted.

"We're going to Ilulissat."

Barrett looked at him sideways, "So, we're staying in Greenland?"

"Yes, we're staying in Greenland but we're leaving Nuuk." Maverick disappeared into the closet emerging a moment later dressed in blue jeans, a black t shirt and black jacket. This was one of those rare days that Maverick wore a hat as well. That was a dead giveaway.

"We're driving, aren't we?" Kendall blurted.

He shook his head.

Ki and Barrett rolled their eyes. Kendall wiggled his eyebrows. "You know what that means?"

Maverick crossed his arms across his chest, "That if you talk the whole five hours we're driving I'll leave you in the middle of the snow?"

Barrett narrowed her eyes at Maverick, "You wouldn't do that." Kendall took the opportunity to snake his arm around Barrett's waist pulling her closely to him. He lips brushed against her ear.

"You have nothing to worry about, I've been told I have a great sense of smell." Reaching over her shoulder Kendall quickly took the last bite of the strawberry that was in her hand, eating it teasingly. Maverick and Ki rolled their eyes as Barrett smirked.

 _Go get ready you two, I need to speak with Barrett about a few things before we leave._ Even in thought Maverick was still very demanding and stern.

 _Not like we can't hear you,_

 _Just do what I say for once._

Ki and Kendall both left the room most likely in search of food and closed the door behind them. Barrett turned to Maverick, eyeing him suspiciously. "Why are we leaving Nuuk? We've only been here for a few months."

He sat down next to her and took her hand in his. "The security team found some claw marks on the gate this morning, and several people from the next town over have gone missing. The townsfolk are starting to get worried and I don't want anybody to start suspecting anything. There's a lot of Native Americans in these parts who know about our kind."

"But we aren't the ones doing anything. We don't even feed off humans?"

"I understand that Barrett, but they don't know about how we've evolved. In their minds we're still the exact same way we were thousands of years ago. It's best if we leave. Something or someone is following us and until you've learned to control your powers more, we're all vulnerable here. Whenever you use your powers it leaves a trail, you haven't learned how to conceal them yet. The place we're going is very remote. It's our new home. Ilulissat is our new home."

"Are you afraid you can't protect me?"

He scoffed, almost as if he was insulted. "I know I can protect you. From anything. You're the only one of our kind to have an enforcer as your alpha. How you managed to do that is still a mystery to me."

"Just so you know you sought me out. I didn't find you." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Your powers drew you to me. That's why you found me in Sioux Falls at that terrible excuse of a bar."

"Actually, if my recollections are correct, I spoke with Kendall first. He offered to buy me a drink, you were sitting in the corner sulking as you always do."

Maverick threw his hands up in defense. "I may be alpha but you know for as long as we are alive, walking this planet together I will never be able to control the things that Kendall does on a whim."

She rose from the bed and walked over to him. "I know and I love that you try so hard to do so." She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest, inhaling his familiar scent. She moved her head so that she could look into Mavericks eyes. Barrett knew moving was the right thing to do. He never showed fear or weakness, at least not when Ki or Kendall were around. She was the only one that he truly gauged his emotions for.

 _Are you scared?_ She brought her hand up to his cheek softly.

 _I'm always scared when I feel like there's a threat towards you._ Softly placing his hand on the nape of her neck he pressed his forehead against hers.

 _I love you._

Maverick smiled, brushing a soft kiss against her lips. "I love you too."

 _"Are we ready?"_ Ki asked barging back into the bedroom fully clothed. Of course, he was the most casual one of the lot, dressed in green hoodie and grey sweatpants. He was never one for formality.

"Yes. Would you mind terribly helping me with my bags?" Barrett looked at him pleadingly. She had more luggage then she thought and there was no way she would be able to carry it on her own. Walking over towards her Ki stole a quick peck from her lips before tossing one suitcase over his shoulder and grabbing the other one by its handle to carry down to the car.

Kendall emerged once he was out of Ki's way. "What else are you needing kitten?" They both heard Maverick's intentional grunt from the closet. He hated that pet name.

"I think I have just one more suitcase and my travel bag that's packed in the bathroom." Barrett looked down at her feet nervously, brushing a false piece of lint from her dark blue jeans. She wanted to dress comfortable for travels so that consisted of a black sweater and a warm brown fur coat. The harsh winters in Greenland had been unfamiliar when they first moved and Maverick had insisted, she wear coats that actually kept her warm. At first, she was against wearing the fur coats now she adored them.

"How far is this drive?" Kendall asked.

"347 miles."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, how long though?"

"Five hours."

 _With how you drive it'll probably be six or seven._

A shoe suddenly came through the closet door and struck Kendall a bit too harshly in the chest. "Maverick!" Barrett scolded rushing over to Kendall. He was rubbing on his chest breathing a little heavier.

"What?" He scowled finally leaving the closet with his suitcases in hands.

"Don't give me that. You know exactly what I meant. If _this_ is how this car ride is going to go then you three better figure out a way to get along because I will gladly ride in the car with the security team." She was actually angry. _What the fuck?_

"B, please-,"

"No, don't you B me! Now god damn it I'm serious. You three have been bickering all day, especially you two. I remember when we used to get along. That seems like forever ago now. I'm not sure what's going on with you Maverick but you'd better figure it out. You're supposed to be my alpha, I'm supposed to be able to lean on you for support and guidance with the others when I need it. All this bickering isn't helping me cope with the fact that we are being forced to uproot yet again because our kind find me as a threat and I don't even know why."

She was starting to crying now and she didn't mean too. It just happened. She was worried about leaving another place she wanted to call home. She was also worried because she felt that maybe they would never have a place to call home.

 _I swear to you on everything my love we will find somewhere safe that we can call home._

Looking into his eyes her bottom lip trembled, "But what if we don't?" Those few words tore at Maverick's heart and he couldn't bear to see her like this anymore. He strode over to her, swooping her up into his arms. He sat down in the large winged back chair with her wrapped around him. Her face was buried in his neck and her arms around his torso.

Kendall sat down next to the chair rubbing Barrett's thigh with his hand as he leaned against Maverick. Ki emerged a moment later, the three had felt him though before they saw him. He walked over and sat on the arm of the chair, placing a soft kiss on top of her head. Barrett moved one of her hands and reached for Ki's hand, holding it tightly.

They stayed like that for a while, the three men allowing her to calm down and compose herself. She didn't like to go around anybody who wasn't them when it looked like she had been crying. She didn't care about appearances but she still wanted those who were watching to think she was strong. They all knew whoever was after them had Eyes everywhere.

Stroking her hair softly Maverick brought her face to his, "Are you okay now?" He used his thumbs to brush a few stray tears from her cheeks. She nodded her head and rose from his lap.

"Are we ready to go?" She bit her lip nervously, self-conscious about her own question.

Ki walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Let's go." Ki and Barrett turned and walked towards the door heading down to the garage where the car was waiting. Kendall and Maverick shared a worried look before following the two close behind.

 _Sitting in the front_ set of the spacious Tahoe, Barrett began rubbing her palms on her thighs nervously. She didn't know why she was so nervous. Maverick had all of their best interests at heart, he knew what he was doing. Looking in the rear-view mirror she could see Ki and Kendall in the backseat. Kendall was directly behind her reading a book while Ki was behind the driver's seat already asleep. His head was back and his mouth slightly open with his arms folded across his chest.

Barrett looked out the front of the car. Maverick was huddled in a circle with the security team, more then likely discussing the best route to get to Ilulissat. He looked tensed, the vein in his neck was throbbing, Barrett could see it and her mouth watered just looking at it. She would give anything to right now to drag her lips across it. Closing her eyes tightly she visualized what it would feel like to run her tongue slowly across that vein while her hands traveled elsewhere.

She crossed her legs and shrugged off her jacket trying her best to escape the sudden heat. Sensing her heavy change in emotion Maverick's eyes found hers, she watched as he licked his lips. She smiled and looked back down at her hands knotted in her lap. _I should have known you'd be watching me._

Kendall chuckled in the back seat.

A moment later the car door opened and Maverick slide in coolly and fastened his seatbelt. Turning his head, he swiftly pulled her in for a kiss. He gripped the back of her head with his hand and began twisting her hair between his fingers as he assaulted her mouth. She grabbed the front of his shirt and moaned softly before pushing against her chest so that she could breathe.

He smirked widely. _I'm always watching you love._

The car roared to life and he pulled out of the garage slowly. The security teams Tahoes were in tow, waiting for Mavericks command. He nodded his head and the lead Tahoe began to turn down the road while he followed with another one closely on his tail. The security team he had hired was actually very well equipped. They were all ex-Army Rangers, just as Maverick had been. He only hired the best.

In the lead vehicle was the head of security Dillion Harper. Maverick had read his resume and called his references, they all advised he was the best of the best and that's exactly what Maverick wanted for his familiars. Next to Dillon was Miller Dean, he had a prosthetic leg from a Humvee explosion but nobody could tell, he could still physically do everything the others could do, sometimes even better. Dillon and Miller were like two peas in a pod, they always did everything together.

In the vehicle behind them was Barrett's personal security. If she wasn't with one of her familiars, which was almost never she was always accompanied by Grant Pogue and Reid Taylor. Pogue and Taylor were very close as well. Both had served as Army Rangers however they were a lot younger then Dillon and Miller, more eager to get out and do things dangerous. They lived more on the edge while the other two played it more by book.

That didn't stop any of them though from doing their job. When it came down to it Maverick knew these men had his and his familiars' backs. He knew they would protect them no matter what.

Barrett watched as Maverick cautiously looked at his surroundings every few minutes, his hands were gripping the steering wheeling so tight his knuckles were beginning to turn white. She placed a loving hand on his lap and waited for him to calm down. Taking a deep breath like she had told him to do many times before he released one hand from the steering wheel and placed it in her lap. She laid her head against his tricep as she wrapped her hands around his arm.

 _You always know how to calm me down._

Barrett glanced up at him through her eyelashes and smiled. "It's my job."

 _That's actually my job._

 _No, your job is to love me._

 _And to protect you._

 _That just comes with loving me._

She felt him shift in his seat, sitting deeper to get more comfortable for the drive. They have reached the interstate and it looked dead. No wonder though, nobody in their right mind would want to drive in this weather. That's exactly why they were driving today though. The snow was supposed to be heavy enough that tedious traffic wouldn't be an issue.

Sighing to herself, Barrett reached into the backseat and grasped Kendall's hand in hers. He took it without even looking up from his book. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing and began to doze off.


	2. Return of the Fallen

_Someone softly jostling_ her shoulder woke Barrett up. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was still in the passenger's seat of the car, only the seat was reclined back as far as it could almost squishing Kendall it looked like. He however, didn't seem to notice. He was asleep as well in the same position Ki was, with his head fallen back and mouth opened. Ki was still asleep also but his head was against the window. She smiled when she saw the two boys holding hands.

"Are you ready to go inside?" Maverick asked as he reached across her to undo her seatbelt. Shaking her head Barrett climbed out of the vehicle and clutched tightly onto his hand. Someone from the security team had managed to wake up Kendall and Ki because she heard them climb out of the car behind her.

Someone whistled as well.

"This is not what I expected."

The house was very large, open and exposed. It sat in the middle of a couple hundred acres with no neighbors in sight. The walls of the house were nearly all windows, it was dark outside and there were no lights on but Barrett assumed during the daytime you could see straight through the house.

"I think it's beautiful," She murmured. Barrett released Maverick's hand and began walking towards the front door. It was a large orange door with brown trim and seemed to be the only part of the house that wasn't exposed. Turning the knob, she pushed the door open and gasped.

The living room was decorated in warm oranges, browns and tans with cream colored furniture. The ceiling was nearly twenty feet tall with exposed beams and the walls were all windows. In the center of the room was a large fireplace with a brown fur rug placed directly in front of it. There was a massive television on top of the mantle. The fireplace was lit and the room felt incredible as she stepped inside forgetting the brisk winter air behind her.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Maverick asked as he snuck up behind her. His hands wrapped around her waist as she leaned back into his touch. She spun around and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling.

"Did you put the television in here for Ki and Kendall?" Barrett asked with a smirk. Maverick rolled his eyes and grunted. _I'll take that as a yes._

"Actually, it was my idea hen." Barretts widened eyes met Mavericks and her back stiffened at the sound of the familiar thick Irish brogue. Turning around quickly she gasped.

"Morgan?"

Releasing her grasp from Maverick she ran towards the man standing in the middle of the living and jumped into his arms. He dropped whatever was in his hands and caught her. The forgotten item fell to the floor with a soft thud. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face in his neck, inhaling his familiar scent. Barrett's hands crept to the back of his head and she began tugging on his hair, ensuring that he was really there.

 _You're here. You're really here._

 _Aye, I am._

She pulled her head back and looked at the Irishman. His coal black hair was a bit longer but still curly and unruly as ever. He had grown a small amount of stubble since she had last seen him. It would've happened eventually, he always complained about how much he hated shaving. Her eyes finally sailed up to meet his and she sighed. Those deep green eyes, almost as dark as a pine tree still made her quiver at the sight.

He set her back down on the ground and brought his hand up to her cheek. "I'm really here," he whispered before tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Slowly, he brought his lips down onto hers. Barrett melted right there, relishing in his touch that she had been longing for for nearly a year. She grabbed his head in between her hands and pulled him closer, as if their bodies weren't already close enough. One of his hands gripped the back of her shirt tugging her towards him as well. They stayed like that for a while, leaving reality behind to focus on one another and the kiss they were sharing. It had been so long she had seen him, for a while she thought she would never see him again.

When it came time to breath, she pulled away from him slowly, allowing him to continue to kiss her on her face. Placing one last kiss on her nose, he opened his eyes again to see her.

"It's as if I'm seeing you for the first time," He smiled pressing his forehead against hers.

"I've missed you. So much Morgan." The name felt foreign, she hadn't said his name in so long. She stopped speaking about him because every time she said or heard his name it just felt like her heart was going to break all over again. "I love you."

He grinned down at her bringing her back into his arms. "I love you too."

 _"Did you know about this Rik?"_ Ki asked as the five of them all sat around the breakfast nook in the kitchen. It was dark outside now and the snow had started to fall again. Maverick shook his head, as he continued to eat his food in silence. Barrett was sitting between Maverick and Morgan, smiling uncontrollably every time she glanced over at Morgan.

"Aye, he did. He was the first person I contacted once I was able to leave," Morgan admitted. Maverick nodded his head again in acknowledgment.

"Well why didn't you tell any of us?" Kendall questioned.

Morgan raised an eyebrow, "Do either of you know how to keep a secret from her?"

They both laughed loudly. "No, we don't. I guess it was good that you didn't tell either of us. We probably would have ruined it for her."

"Is that the real reason we came here?" Barrett blurted looking at Maverick. "Were we not in danger at the old house?"

He placed his fork down on his plate causing a loud clattering sound to resonate throughout the room. "No this isn't the real reason. We were still in danger of being exposed there. Just as we are still in danger of whatever keeps trying to come after us now. I was going to keep us there for as long as we could. When Morgan called to say he was ready I knew that was our opportunity to leave and start over. It was our chance to be better protected. Morgan found this place, he purchased it and redid a few things to make sure it was stable and secure enough for us."

"You remodeled this place?" Ki blurted dumbfoundedly.

"Aye Kian. Did you think I was only good at drinking whiskey?" Barrett watched as Ki reflectively flinched at the use of his full name.

"Don't call me that," He murmured.

Morgan grunted. "And why's that? I always call you Kian. That's your name, isn't it?"

"Morgan," Barrett warned, sensing a confrontation.

"Yes, it is. But I hate that name. It reminds me of darker time."

"You've got to learn to live with your demons' mate. Hiding them in the closet only allows them to grow." Morgan gave him one more quick glance before rising from the settee and gathering all of the empty plates. Barrett stood up to help him but he shook his head. "You should go speak with Maverick for a moment hen, I've got this."

She looked at him with a puzzled expression. Maverick was no longer at the table but outside on the back porch. His shoulders were hunched over and his back was tense. Nodding her head, she shrugged her coat on and followed him outside. Maverick heard her come outside but didn't turn to her. He felt her come up from behind him and wrap her petite frame around his body. They stayed like that for a moment, watching the large snowflakes fall.

"No matter what you think, or feel or see you'll always be my first love."

Sighing, he turned around to face her. She was looking up at him, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. He felt his breath hitch and brushed the free-falling tears from her cheeks as he placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I know." A small amount of softness was present in his eyes.

"I want to thank you, for bringing him back to me. I know it's been a hard year, and I haven't been myself with you all lately but I appreciate this. I feel whole again." Barrett admitted.

His hand rested on her cheek. "I'm sorry I kept this as a secret from you."

She smirked. "This is the only time keeping a secret from me is okay."

Maverick looked at her again with admiration.

"You're my alpha and I will always pick you over everyone. I love you so much, you're needs come first and I hope you still know that."

He brought her hand up to his face and held it there with his own. "My solemn vow in life is to protect you and keep you safe."

She copied his response from earlier with a wicked grin, "I know."

 _Later that night_ she fell asleep in Morgan's strong arms only to wake up to the absence of Maverick hours later. Slowly, she sat up, hoping she wouldn't wake any of the others. Kendall was asleep at the end of the bed with his feet by Ki's face and his hand touching the floor. Kian was on his back, sprawled out with the sheets tangled around his legs. Morgan slept on his side with his arm beneath the pillow Barrett's head had just been on.

Reaching out she touched the spot that Maverick was laying on. It was cold to the touch, clearly, he had gotten up a while ago. Quietly leaving the room Barrett shut the bedroom door behind her and went in search of her sleepless alpha.

After searching nearly every room in the house she found him in the living room seated at the grand piano. He kept running his fingers back and forth against the keys, pressing one every now and then to make a quiet song. She snuck down the stairs and into the living room making her way over to him. She placed her hand on his bare shoulder and rubbed gently, smiling when his head fell back just a bit. She brought her lips to the back of his neck and kissed softly.

"You should be sleeping love."

 _Mmm, so should you._

His hand reached back and grasped her wrist, pulling her around so that she was pinned between him and the piano. The keys made a loud noise as he sat her on top of them. Maverick's mouth crashed down onto her and she moaned as he began threading his fingers through her hair. They each fought for dominance during the kiss, their teeth were clashing and their lips were swollen from the small love bites here and there.

It was all beginning to become too much. The tension that had been manifesting between her and Maverick the past two days needed to be settled. She didn't think she would be able to handle it much longer. Bravely, Barrett gripped his broad shoulders and pushed his face away from hers. He looked at her with confusion plastered on his face. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were wide. Then his eyebrows furrowed more, forcing the v between them to become more prominent. He was trying hard to scrutinize the situation at hand.

She turned him around so that he was now pinned between her and the piano and quickly placed her lips on his neck. Kissing the large vein that was throbbing. She felt him tense beneath her as if he finally realized what she was about to do. His arms gripped the waist of her nighty and began inching it was until his rough and calloused fingers were nestled onto her hips. Inhaling his scent, she opened her mouth and bit down, gently at first and then harder so she could break the skin on the surface quicker. Once her tongue reached his taste she moaned, her eyes rolling into the back of her head and her hands threading tightly into his hair.

Maverick groaned beneath her, squeezing her hips tightly, undoubtedly leaving finger pad sized bruises that would be present the next day. It had been almost a year since she had fed from any of them. When Morgan left, she had gone into a depressed stupor, refusing to feed from any of her familiars until they were all together again. Her telling Maverick she felt incomplete was an understatement. Inevitably, she had been lost. And all the efforts that Maverick and the others put in trying to help her didn't seem to work.

She was grateful for them though, they had been trying so hard to help her, doing everything they could think of and more. Maverick knew her feeding from only animals was what was preventing her power from manifesting. She wouldn't be able to ascend just on the blood of animals. She needed to feed on her familiars if she wanted to experience her powers. There was no other way for her to be able to control them. He would guide her though, with the others by his side helping her she would soon learn how to control her powers. If the prophecies were right, she would be one of the strongest of their kind.

 _Barrett._ He was unable to speak. His mind was so cluttered and his body so distracted the only think he could do was think her name. She pulled her mouth away from his neck, licking her lips. The look in her eyes and blood dripping down the side of her mouth was too much. He picked her up and threw her on the couch, covering her body with his. His mouth fell to her neck and he began kissing her, trailing them down her collarbone and between the valley of her breasts. He grabbed the front of her nighty between his hands and ripped it down the middle, pushing the fabric to the side. She gasped as the cold night air brushed against her body. His mouth fell to one of her nipples and she moaned loudly "Maverick."

He released her and smirked, silently shushing her before returning to the assault he was doing to her body. She writhed beneath him, wanting and craving more. _More, please Maverick. I need more._ His mouth traveled back up, stopping just at the divot between her collar bone and neck. And then he bit down. Her mouth opened to gasp but the sound was inaudible. Her nails dug into the back of his shoulders and she racked them down. His hissed around her neck at the sudden pain then groaned as he sucked harder. The pain had subsided into pleasure. His hands crept down to her breasts and squeezed roughly which made her moan louder.

"God Maverick, the things you do to me." She moaned again, this time not being silent. He smirked, continuing to suck. _If you want to be loud, we can be loud love._ He pulled his mouth from her neck and moved to her lips. His tongue battling her own. Their tastes began mixing with one another. The throbbing between her legs couldn't stop. As he continued to kiss her, she gripped his shorts and pushed them down as far as she could, hooking her feet around the waist band to push them down the rest of the way. She felt his hands quickly discard her underwear, throwing them across the room. Barrett dragged the now destroyed nighty off her shoulders and threw it behind her head.

Maverick gripped her waist, placing one arm securely around her lower back, bringing her body as close to his as he could before he slid inside of her. She released his lips and her head fell back against the couch, her moan sounded almost like a scream this time. He began to move, burying his face in the crook of her neck as she continued to make pleasant noises in his ear.

"Faster," She demanded as she began to meet his never-ending thrusts. His grip on her waist tightened and he moved faster, pumping into her harder then he ever had before. It had been months since they had been intimate just the two of them. He was never able to fully have her to himself and now he didn't think he would ever be able to share again. His eyes rolled into the back of his head when Barrett wrapped her legs around his waist.

He rose up onto his forearms, leaning over Barrett so he could whisper in her ear. "You're mine," he said before maneuvering his mouth back onto hers. She kissed him back, grasping at him, wanting him even closer.

"I'm yours," She panted against his mouth.

"Say it," He demanded kissing her mouth roughly.

"I'm yours Maverick."

He grunted angrily, "Say it again!" She opened her eyes and looked at him, "I'm yours."

"Tell me you'll never leave me."

"I'll never leave you, I promise."

Biting her bottom lip, she threw her head back and arched her back finding her own release, drawing his out with her moments after. Maverick fell, lying down on top of her, his head buried between her breasts. She felt him turn his head to the side, his beard softly rubbing against her skin. Without moving he gripped the blanket from the back of the couch and threw it over the both of them as her fingers found their way to his hair. They laid there for a moment in silence.

"You know, I'm going to lose my hair one day by how much you tug on it."

Barrett giggled beneath him. "You have enough of it I think you'll be fine."

He moved so he could face her. "Oh, is that so?" Maverick gently tugged a piece of her hair before furrowing his eyebrows.

"What?" She asked moving so she could see what he was starring at. Next to her on the couch was a large dark spot smeared with blood. She began giggling uncontrollably.

He rolled his eyes, "So much for this couch."

"I'm not sure why Morgan thought a white couch was a good idea for us. With the way Ki and Kendall eat it was bound to have stains eventually." They laid there for another moment longer, holding one another before deciding going back upstairs to sleep would be a better idea.

Pulling one of Maverick's white t shirts on over her head she laid back down in bed, curling against his side. She felt Morgan move now spooning her body. She smiled softly as she laid her head down on Maverick's chest and fell asleep.


	3. Til Death Do Us Part

_Two weeks went_ by and everything about the five of them had changed. The house felt complete again and it was filled with laughter and warmth. The life was brought back into Barrett's eyes when Morgan returned and Maverick was secretly thankful. His fear grew more every day the longer that Morgan was gone. They all started to eventually believe that the threat against them had subsided until one night.

Barrett was sleeping between Morgan and Maverick as always. Kian on the other side of Maverick while Kendall slept behind Morgan. It had been a busy day for them. Kendall had suggested they go exploring the grounds since they assumed, they would be there for a while. What was supposed to be a small tour turned into a four-hour hike in the snow before they were forced to return home due to Barrett becoming very under the weather.

She admitted to Maverick the past few days she had felt strange, waking up in the morning with blistering headaches, Ki admitting that her headache was so bad one day he felt the pain just a bit too. She had decided to go to bed early that night, a few hours later the boys joining her. It seemed all she did anymore was sleep. Except for tonight. Sleep was hard for her to come by and finally she sat up right in bed when her blistering head ache returned. She began running her hands across her forehead roughly trying anything she could to subside the pain, nothing seemed to work. She looked behind her shoulder, they were all four sleeping and she really didn't want to disturb them.

Rising from the bed she crossed the hall to the bathroom searching for anything in sight. After finding some pain relievers she took a few and sat down on the toilet, her head buried in her hands.

There was a small rustling outside of the door. Opening the door, she peaked out into the hallway. Stepping out, the looked left then right. None of the other bedroom doors were open and as far as she could tell nobody was out there. One of the boys could have possibly gotten up in the middle of the night to go downstairs for a drink.

"Maverick? Kendall?"

When no one responded she shrugged her shoulders and turned around to go back inside the bathroom. Walking towards the sink she grabbed her tooth brush and began cleansing her teeth. When she woke up in the middle of the night, she couldn't stand the taste in her mount. She rinsed her mouth off and splashed water on her face.

Reaching for the towel she dabbed her face dry and set the towel back down. When she opened her eyes, she saw a dark figure walk by the bathroom door again. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed her by her hair forcing a loud scream to fall from her lips. She fell to the ground in the bathroom

"Maverick!" She shouted loudly, clawing at the hands that were gripping her hair. Her eyes filled with tears and she began thrashing on the ground as the hand dragged her down the hallway towards the stairs. "Maverick! Morgan!"

"Maverick please! Help me!" For a moment she thought that her cries for help would be useless until she saw the bedroom door fly open. Maverick looked out in the hallway, a small glimpse of fear in his eyes that then it suddenly turned to rage. He charged down the hallway with Morgan behind him.

"Barrett!" He yelled getting closer to her and her captor. Just as he was a few feet away from her, his fingers barely grasping her ankle she was thrown down the stairs. Her body bounced off of every step along the way. Barrett could feel her body breaking as she went down. She heard snaps and cracks as well. She hit the wall at the bottom of the staircase with a hard thud, the picture from the wall suddenly fell on top of her. Glass broke all over her body. She looked down and tried to scream but couldn't. The pain wouldn't let her. In her thigh was about a three-inch long glass shard.

Her scream finally fell from her lips. "Ahh!"

She could hear them wrestling at the top of the stairs. She tried to move but couldn't, her head was too badly injured. She brought her hands up and touched the back of it. When she pulled her hand away, she saw that it was covered in dark red blood. Squeezing her eyes shut she began trying to focus on her breathing. The pain wouldn't subside and she wasn't healing like she should have been.

 _Why am I not healing?_ She didn't understand. She wasn't human. She was an immortal. She was a vampire, so why was her body not healing itself? Forcing her back against the wall she pushed off the stairs with her good leg and began crawling on the floor, trying to find a way to brace herself so she could stand. There was another noise coming from the kitchen and she was scared.

Another man in black appeared, his eyes were a piercing gold and his hair was long and blonde pulled back into a ponytail. He was dressed in an all-black suit with a small silver pendant on his chest. In his hand was a large dagger. Barrett's eyes widened.

When his eyes met hers, he cocked his head to the side and smiled. "We've been looking for you. You're a hard woman to come by Barrett Kaiser."

Barrett used her hands to drag herself further away from the man. "Who are you? What do you want?!"

"Why, we want you my dear. We've been looking for you for months."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

There was another noise coming from the kitchen that stole the attention from both of them. Barrett held her breath, for a moment she thought it would be more captors but it wasn't. It was Ki. His eyes were wide and his breathing was heavy. He had been running, his body was covered in sweat.

Before Ki had time to react the man hovering over Barrett had rose from his feet and charged. They were both on the ground wrestling for the dagger the stranger had lost. Barrett watched in with intensity as they rolled around the kitchen, punching and kicking one another. When it seemed like Kian had gotten the upper hand the man swiftly kicked her in the head. When Kian's body went limp, he had picked the man up and threw him into the kitchen cabinets.

With his back turned Barrett had managed to rise from the floor. Looking around she tried desperately to find something that could be used as a weapon. Realizing what she needed to do she bite her bottom lip and gripped the glass shard between her fingers and pulled it out. She gasped loudly, all of the air in her lungs escaping between her lips. She tasted blood on her tongue and realized she had bitten through her lip.

Her attention was drawn back to her captor and Kian when the heard another crash come from the kitchen. Her captor had Kian's throat between his hands and he was raising him from the ground. Kian was kicking his legs, his hands gripping the stranger's hands. Barrett did the only thing she knew she could do in the moment. She brought the glass shard down and sank it into the stranger's neck.

He released Kian and gasped. Kian fell to the ground, grasping at his neck as he began to breathe normal again. Her attention was stolen when a large bang came from upstairs. It almost sounded like a gunshot. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and looked down. The dagger Kian had been fighting for was now in her abdomen with her captor's hand was wrapped around the handle. Kian watched in horror as Barrett fell backwards onto the ground, her captor following suit.

"Kian," She whimpered, feeling his name barely escape her lips.

"Barrett!" He gasped rushing over towards her. He picked her up off the ground and sat her against the wall for more support. "What do I do? Why aren't you healing?"

She licked her blood-stained lips and sighed, her head falling back on the wall. "Pull it out."

"What?!"

"Pull the dagger out of me and put pressure on it or I'll bleed out. I'm not sure why I'm not healing, Somethings wrong."

"Hold on." Kian stood up and ran into the pantry coming back a second later with a dish towel and some rubbing alcohol.

He handed her the towel. "Put this in your mouth, this is going to hurt when I pull it out and I'll have to sterilize it since you aren't healing."

She felt tears pool her eyes again and nodded. Kian placed a quick peck on her lips before shoving the towel in her mouth. Barrett closed her eyes and turned her head away. For a moment all she felt was pain, like someone was tearing her in half and then it was gone. But only for a moment. And then her whole body was on fire. She screamed against the towel, trying to move away but Kian had too strong of a grip on her.

"Hold on Barrett, it's okay, I've got you," He whispered. When she opened her eyes she couldn't see, her vision was blurred. Her head felt heavy and she felt like the whole world around her was spinning.

"What's happened?!" A familiar voice shouted from over the top of her. She closed and then opened her eyes again and again, trying to focus on who was speaking.

"There was another one down here. He stabbed her with his dagger. She's not healing, somethings wrong."

"What do you mean she's not healing? How is she not healing?"

"I don't know Maverick! She's not healing!"

Finally retaining her visual field, Barrett looked to her left and saw Maverick at her side. He was covered in cuts and scrapes, in his left arm was a large wound, almost like a bullet hole.

"You've been shot?" She gasped, feeling dizzier the more she spoke.

"Shh, it's okay. I need you to stay awake for me, okay?" His hand was pressed tightly against her thigh but strangely enough she couldn't feel the pain anymore. Smiling, she shook her head slowly and watched as he began looking over her body. It was clear he didn't know what to do. He was unfamiliar with immortals not being able to heal.

"Am I going to be okay?" She gasped.

Maverick cursed under his breath. "You're going to be fine, okay baby. I promise. You just have to stay away." She began closing her eyes but opened them slowly. "Barrett! Look me in the eyes, you have to stay awake okay? We're going to fix this but you have to stay awake."

When she began coughing, she brought her hand up to her mouth. There was more blood on her hands. She was coughing it up now.

"You're going to okay, alright?"

"Okay," She whispered softly before closing her eyes and falling to the side. Maverick caught her quickly and began shaking her. His blood covered hands were now on her cheeks, gently shaking her head, trying to wake her up.

"Barrett, wake up." He shook her again.

"Baby, you've got to wake up for me, okay? Come back. Come on baby, you need to wake up."

She didn't move.

Kendall and Morgan barreled into the room, they sight before them breaking their hearts in half. Ki was knelt next to Barrett, covered in blood his head hanging low and his shoulders shaking. Maverick was leaning over her, she was in his arms as still as a rock and he was still shaking her head.

His pleas filled the room. "Come on baby, please wake up. You have to wake up! You can't leave me. We just got started." Not knowing what to do he placed her on the ground brought his hands to rest on top of his head. "What do I do?"

After another moment of self-pleading and bargaining he looked down and placed his hands-on top of her chest. And then he began pushing down. He kept at it for a few moments, he didn't stop. He vowed not to stop until she came back to him.

"Come on. Come on!" His yelling echoed throughout the room.

The other familiars in the room watched in shock.

"You're not dead. You're fine. You're not dead Come on baby, wake up for me!" He leaned down and placed his mouth on hers, blowing air into her mouth before going back to do compressions.

"Morgan, come take over for me!"

"Rik, it's no-,"

"Just do it!" Maverick screamed vehemence present in his voice. Morgan rushed over and began taking over for him. Watching intently, Morgan saw him grab a glass shard from the ground and cut his hand. He placed his hand on her mouth and waited. He didn't even know what he was waiting for.

"It'll work. You're fine, you're here I know you are. Wake up baby, I know you're there. Wake up for me, okay? That's all you have to do is wake up for me." He kept his hand over her mouth but she still did nothing. After a few more minutes he felt Morgan stop moving. He turned to him.

"What are you doing?!"

"Maverick, it's not working."

"I said it'll work, now keep going!"

Ki and Kendall looked at one another sympathetically.

"Rik, she's gone," Kian said, his voice filled with sadness. Maverick looked at the three men in room, the truth was written across all of their faces. It couldn't be true. She couldn't be gone. She was supposed to heal herself. They were supposed to be with one another forever. He was supposed to protect her and he failed. He failed at his job, the one vow he had made in life and now she was gone.

"No. No, no, no, no. No!"

Growling loudly, he leaned over her body and held onto her. His hand still next to her face. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and sobbed. His shoulders shaking with him as he continued to curse and scream into her neck. He had lost her and it was all his fault. And now he was going to lose himself.

 _I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I failed you. You didn't deserve this._

Morgan kneeled next to them and clutched his eyes shut tightly. His hands rested on his knees and his head was thrown back facing the sky. He was pleading and he didn't know to who. Kian rose from the ground and left the room slamming the glass door behind him. Kendall could hear loud screams and curses from him as he paced back and forth outside. Kendall sat on the ground where Barrett's head at been with his knees to his chest and his head in his hands, pulling at his hair. Hoping and praying that this had all been a dream and that he was going to wake up soon.

Maverick opened his eyes and lowed Barrett so that he could see her face. It was covered in blood with tears stains present. She was still so beautiful. Even after leaving her body, leaving them she was still so beautiful.

All of a sudden Barrett's chest moved from beneath him. Then her eyes opened. She sprang up, with her hand on her chest as she began coughing loudly. Maverick moved with astonishment, starring at the woman who was just dead a few seconds ago. She felt her body begin to warm up and hunched forward onto her knees. Maverick had rose from the ground and was now pressed against the wall, watching her with a blank expression.

Kendall had ran outside to grab Kian and they both barreled back inside together. When her coughing stopped, she looked up and met Morgan's eyes.

"What happened to me?"

"You've ascended."


	4. Traitor

_Barrett sat in the_ large bathtub of their master suite, her eyes closed and her head thrown back. She was leaning against Kian as Morgan rubbed her feet. Kendall wasn't in the bath with them but was sitting next to it holding her hands. Maverick was sitting in front of the bathroom floor wearing the same clothes from earlier that were still covered in blood.

"Why did my body stop healing?" She asked.

"Days until you ascend your body is at it's weakest. Healing becomes almost impossible. Sometimes death is required to fully ascend."

"Did you die when you ascended?"

He shook his head.

"Maverick, did you?"

"No." His answer was short.

"Why did I die?"

"That's a question I don't have an answer for. All I know is that from what I've read and learned from my time with our kind is that only the strongest ones die before they ascend. Your prophecy claims you are going to be one of the strongest of our kind."

Barrett scoffed crossing her arms across her chest. "Would have been nice if I knew I was going to die. I would have tried to make it less painful."

Maverick grunted.

"What?" She snapped.

"You're making jokes about your death and you don't even remember it."

"Am I supposed to remember it?"

He rose and walked towards the tub, kneeling down next to it. His grip on the edge of the but made his knuckles turn white. "No, but I do. And it's going to haunt me for the rest of my life." When she reached out to touch him, he rose from his knees and stalked out of the room.

"Where is he going?" Barrett whispered, it was mostly a rhetorical question. Morgan moved in the water so that he was now hovering over her, looking at her intensely.

"You need to understand that he is going to be a very different person for a while. When you died, he felt everything. Something inside of him snapped, I've never seen a man so broken and it was only for a few moments. He was kidding when he told you his one solemn vow in life was to protect you. As your alpha he feels ashamed because he wasn't able to do so."

"But he did protect me!" She pleaded. When she sat up so abruptly, she forced some of the water to slosh over the side and spill onto Kendall. "I'm sorry." He smiled in reassurance turning his gaze back to Morgan.

"To you he fulfilled his vow but to himself he didn't. He's always going to think of himself as a failure for allowing you to die in his arms. He's going to be a different person for a while, he's going to be distant with all of us. Physically he will be present but not emotionally. He's going to seclude himself. You'll just need to be there for him with continual reassurance so he knows you still trust him. In our world, failing to fulfill a vow is damaging but it can be overcome. However, failing to keep trust between an alpha and consort, well, he's better off asking for death." Morgan's gaze was still very intense.

"I still trust him, I trust him with my life. I'm not even sure I really died. I stopped feeling but I never stopped thinking. I could hear everything you all were saying. It just sounded like I was at the end of a tunnel. I don't think I died, I think I just went away for a little while." She began gnawing on her bottom lip.

"I never stopped feeling her presence," Kendall added, gripping her shoulders in his hands for comfort.

Kian narrowed his eyes at him. "That's because you have the power of physical empathy. You can feel others pain and let them feel it in return."

"Doesn't matter. I never stopped feeling her and it wasn't her pain I was talking about. It was her presence. If she truly died her presence would have evaporated.

"Enough you two. What can I do to fix this?"

Barrett rose from the tub rapidly, almost losing her footing as she did so. Kendall's' quick hands were able to steady her before she toppled over the edge.

"You need to rest," Kendall growled as he continued to hold her waist. Barrett ignored his comment and wrapped a towel around her body. She winced when the fabric of the towel rubbed against her sore thigh.

"You've just ascended. It's going to take a while for you to heal."

She narrowed her eyes at Morgan. "I thought you said I was at my strongest after I've ascended?"

"Aye, but you aren't even sure what kind of powers you've managed to manifest. And even when we know you'll still have no clue how to control them. There's a lot of things happening to your body right now and it needs to rest and heal so it can find a balance again."

She twisted the end of the towel between her fingers and looked down at the ground, not brave enough to look at the three of them. "Maverick won't come near me if I'm not fully healed, will he?"

"Aye."

Nodding her head, she swallowed the lump in her throat and put on a small but completely fake smile. "Will one of you help me into bed then?"

 _Three days of_ bed rest had passed and she felt better. The wound on her thigh had healed but it left a large, jagged scar. Her splitting headaches were gone as well. Morgan told her they were probably side affects of her body preparing for her ascend. They each took shifts taking care of her, switching every now and then as to who would help her to the bathroom, bathe and bring food to her. She still hadn't seen Maverick but she knew he was near, she could feel him. When she asked the others about him the just shrugged their shoulders and continued to tell her he would be back when he was ready.

By the fourth day she was tired of lounging around. She missed Maverick and this plush bed had somehow managed to become uncomfortable. The downside to her bedrest had been that she slept during the day and was wide awake at night. Granted she couldn't sleep because none of her familiars would share a bed with her. They stayed in her room just not in her bed. The closet thing she got to someone sharing a bed with her was when Kian had accidentally fallen asleep at the foot of the bed while rubbing her feet. When she moved to try and lie next to him, he awoke and moved to the couch in the corner of the room.

She focused hard on trying to figure out where the boys were all at in the house. She wanted to get out of bed, today. And she was going to without being stopped. Rising from the bed she quickly made her way to the door and looked out into the hallway. The bedroom door next to her was open and she could hear faint voices and a television playing. Clearly, they had purchased some sort of gaming console in the last four days.

Softly shutting the door, she ran over to the closet and walked inside looking for warm clothes. She could hear and feel Maverick's presence she just wasn't able to see him. Barrett was going to find him whether he wanted her to or not. It was still snowing and she knew she would have to trench through it to get to him. Sucking in a deep breath she pulled on a pair of jeans, hissing for a moment as the tight fabric brushed against her leg. It was still tender even though it was healed. She pulled on a black sweatshirt and heavy winter coat before pulling her hair into a knot on the top of her head. Looking around she wondered if the boys have managed to purchase her any sort of boots.

"Ah ha!" In the corner of the closet sat a long row of Timberlands. She grabbed a gray pair and pulled them on after her heavy thermal socks.

Walking back over to the door the pressed her ear to the door listening for their voices. She cursed under her breath when she could still hear them. If she could get to the room to the left of her without them hearing she would be able to go out on the balcony and down the stairs without them knowing.

Shaking her head in encouragement she quietly opened the door and began walking down the hallway to the room next door. She took small steps down the hallway hoping the floorboards wouldn't turn against her. She grinned triumphantly when she reached the next bedroom only to curse under her breath again. Kendall was asleep in the bed. He was rolled over on his stomach and his head was buried beneath the pillows. The blankets were bundled at his feet and he was almost completely naked. Barrett began tracing the line his muscles made on her back with her eyes. _Focus Barrett!_

Dragging her eyes off the beautiful man on the bed she slipped past the bed and made it to the sliding glass doors. Inhaling sharply, she quickly opened the door and stepped outside, hoping the sudden gust of cold air wouldn't wake him. She ran across the deck and down the stairs finally exhaling when she reached the cement platform at the bottom. She zipped the front of her coat up and looked around. She looked around and sighed when all she saw was miles of snow-covered ground.

"Where the hell are you Mav?" She closed her eyes and focused on his face, hoping her mind was healed enough and she would be able to find out where he was. She stood there for a few moments, thinking about him when an image appeared in her mind. Just half a mile to the north of her was a small tree line but behind the tree line stood a small cottage. It was old and deteriorating but there seemed to be smoke coming from the chimney.

She began her descend through the snow, looking behind her every now and then to make sure she wasn't being followed. She really hated the idea of almost finding Maverick and then the boys dragging her away and back to bed. She was tired of being treated like a porcelain doll because she wasn't that fragile. Maverick always told her that she was the strongest woman he had ever met. Her life was easy before them. It was hard.

She lived with her father for a while until he passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Then when she was thirteen, she had to move in with her mother Joyce and her step farther John. Nearly three years after moving her mother died of a brain aneurysm and she was left with her John. Barrett loved him like he was her own father but something snapped when her mother passed away. He began drinking and was verbally abusive towards Barrett. She figured it was because she was the spitting image of her mother and a constant reminder about the person he had lost. She felt like a burden.

When she graduated high school, she went to a local college, studied literature and European history and worked as a waitress to help pay the bills around the house. She took care of John every day. And then one day when she was twenty-three, he struck her across the face and she left Rapid City in the middle of the night. Two weeks later she met Maverick and Kian in a bar in Sioux Falls and her life changed for the better.

Barrett finally reached the tree line. The cottage was a lot larger then what she thought. To get to the front door she had to cross a small cross bridge that was over the top of the stream. The bridge didn't seem promising in holding her weight but she needed to see Maverick. Running across very quickly she got to the front door and looked down. At the front of the cottage was a small present decorated in white wrapping paper with silver boys.

She picked the package up and looked at the name tag.

To Maverick with love

From Amaretti

I hope this give you all the answers you need to come back to us

Barrett's heart leaped forward in her chest. He was leaving her. For another woman. She dropped the present and grasped at her stomach, she felt it begin to lurch. She couldn't stop. Leaning over the edge of the cottage railing she hurled the contents of her stomach into the snow-covered grass beneath her.

The front door to the cottage opened and Maverick stepped out dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a grey sweatshirt and a heavy jean jacket. His hair was disheveled and he had his sunglasses on with his black ball cap and car keys in his hands.

"Barrett? What are you doing here?" He was surprised to see her. He clearly had plans for the day.

She turned around to face him and glared. Not realizing what she was doing until it happened, she slapped him. His head quickly turned to the side and his glasses fell to the ground. She watched as his cheek began to redden from where her palm had met his face. Crouching down she picked the present off the ground and threw it at his chest.

"I have nothing to say to you." She stepped around him and made her way across the bridge back into the field. Her footprints from earlier were now almost completely covered with fresh snow. She wouldn't lose her way through; the vast house was impossible to miss. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and felt her eyes fill with tears. The hot liquid poured down her face. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what to feel. There were so many emotions going through her head at the time she didn't know which one to focus on the most.

She felt betrayed and sad but most of all she felt heart broken. After everything they had been through, he was leaving her. She wanted to meet the woman he was leaving her for, was she another vampire? Was he going to be another woman's alpha? What would happen to her if he left? All of these questions were going through her mind and it was all becoming too much. Her knees finally gave out from beneath her and she dropped to the snow, clutching her chest as she cried. _Why?_

"Barrett! Wait!" His voice was coming from a few yards behind her but she didn't have the strength to get up and continue walking. She just wanted to lay in the cold snow, hoping it would numb her into oblivion.

She felt his hands grip her shoulders and she brushed them off. He tried to grab her again but she turned around and pushed. After pushing him a few more times she was on her back and he was on top of her, holding her hands down in the snow.

"Get off of me Maverick!"

"Not until you listen to me!"

"Let me go!"

"No!"

She shook her body, trying to escape his tight hold. "I hate you!"

He looked at her, hurt prevalent in his eyes. "You hate me?"

"Yes, I do!"

"No, you don't. You love me."

"That was before you decided to leave me for another woman! What am I garbage? Just something that you can throw away when you're done? What was I some sort of ploy? You figured you would be able to fuck me whenever you wanted and then just leave me?" He had released her hands sometime in between her nonstop questions and she was now on her knees.

"Who is she Maverick? Is that who you've been with the past four days? I'm stuck in bed, trying to heal and you're out fucking another woman? I almost die and you have to go find solace in someone else? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME? To us? To our family?" Barrett was screaming now. They were in the middle of the empty field and she could hear her voice reverberating around.

"Who is who, Barrett?!"

"Amaretti! Who is she?!"

His face turned white and she watched as he slowly swallowed.

"That's what I thought." Barrett rose and began walking back towards the house. Her screaming had been loud enough because she could see Morgan, Kendall and Kian all making their way towards the two in the field. They weren't running though.

Maverick ran up behind her and spun her around to face him again. "I'm not leaving you."

"You should. I'm not going to stay with someone who's cheated on me."

"Barrett, you need to let me explain-,"

"You broke us! What we have is broken! It'll never be fixed. No amount of time will ever be exist for me to get over the fact that you cheated on me with another woman. I know our relationship is unconventional because I'm with you and three other mean but you're with them too. I assumed it was mutually exclusive between the five of us that we wouldn't be with other people?"

"I didn't sleep with her!" His eyes were pleading her to listen to him.

"What the fuck is going on?" Kendall demanded.

"Amaretti is back." Barrett watched as the color drained from Kendall's face.

"Do you know her too?" Barrett gaped. To her disappointment, he shook his head. "Are you sleeping with her too?"

"What?!" Kendall looked offended by the question.

"You heard me." She was grinding her teeth when she spoke. Kendall stalked over to her grabbing her face between his hands.

"I'm not sleeping with anyone besides you so don't you dare ever accuse me of sleeping with anyone else. I've never been one to condole adultery. And I can vouch for Maverick, he would never cheat on you. We're all devoted to you Barrett."

She looked down at the ground, ashamed she had jumped to conclusions. "Then who is she?"

"She's our old consort." Maverick's words cut through her worse then that dagger.

"How long?"

"When Kian and I first turned in 1823. We were with her for over 100 years. But it's done now. Its been done for a long time."

Barrett finally turned to face Maverick. His face was still ashen and his hair a mess from constantly running his fingers through it.

"Why is she sending you gifts?"

He sighed looking up at the sky. "She's found Kendall and I. She wants us to come back."

"Come back?"

"There is a lot a hand we must discuss. I suggest we take this inside, aye?" Morgan was holding his hand out for Barrett to take. She reluctantly took his hand and walked over to where Kian was. Sometime between her yelling at Maverick and accusing Kendall of cheating as well Kian had left and gone back to the house to grab his car. It was an all-white Jeep Wrangler. She always thought it was so ostentatious until it came in handy for a moment like this.

Climbing in she sat in the back between Kendall and Morgan. Maverick stood outside of the car for a moment contemplating whether or not he should get in. Barrett had had enough. She pressed the sunroof button in the backseat and stood up popping her head from inside of the car.

"Maverick, you have two seconds to get inside this car before I force you to get inside." Her warning was serious.

"You don't have the strength to do so."

"Want to bet?"

"Try me Barrett. It's been a trying few days for me." He crossed his hands across his chest, challenging her. The bastard had a smirk on his face too.

"Fuck this." She jumped down from the sunroof window and climbed over Morgan to get out of the car. She stomped over to Maverick and grabbed the front of his jacket with both of her hands.

"You'll do as I say."

He raised an eyebrow. "Aye, and if I don't?" She was tired of hearing him talk. She hadn't seen him in the days and when she finally did, they were fighting. Their relationship almost ended a few moments ago and now they were mentally challenging each other like nothing had ever happened. She was confused with everything. She didn't know what was going on.

Her alpha was in a funk, someone was trying to kill her and now she was going to have to defend herself against some woman who wanted her familiars. The tension was thick in the air between the two. Her frustrations were always the biggest with Maverick. He was her alpha but right now he was acting petulant and she wanted him to stop.

Moving her hands, she dropped his jacket and grabbed his face pulling his lips to hers. He resisted for a moment, only giving her a chaste kiss. It wasn't until she wrapped an arm around his waist and another around his neck when he finally caved and kissed her back.

Kendall honking the horn finally broke them apart. Barrett buried her face in Maverick's chest in embarrassment. "We should get going. It's getting dark and I don't really feel up to fighting off a bear right now." Barrett nodded her head while giggling. He was back.


	5. Visitors

" _So Amaretti is your old consort?"_

"Yes, she is." Barrett was sitting on the new cream-colored couch in the living room. Morgan had gotten it replaced after her and Maverick's little incident on it. She was clutching a glass of red while with her knees tucked underneath her and a wool blanket strewn over her lap. She had changed her clothes because they were wet from the snow. She was now dressed in a pair of thick thermal leggings and a white colored sweater.

She had also taken a shower but not alone. Morgan installed a massive shower in the master bathroom for a reason. She smiled to herself at the fond memory.

"So, start from the beginning." Maverick picked up his glass from the fireplace mantle and finished off his scotch. Barrett knew it would be a long story. He maneuvered across the living room and sat down on the coffee table directly across from her. Her other familiars followed suit and sat down as well throughout the spacious room.

"I lived in Kinsale, Ireland with my father and mother until I was about 18 years old. We didn't have money while I was growing up, were poor. My family struggled for food. Eventually, my parents both died of pneumonia and I was alone. I started stealing things off of boats around the harbors. They were small things at first then I moved to stealing barrels of gunpowder. I had gotten pretty good at it. I eventually stole enough that I was able to make a living off of it. I would steal high priority gunpowder, which was what the militia used and I would sell it at a discounted price to other vendors. I continued to sell gunpowder but I was more drawn to weapons, guns, knives the works.

"Once I was able to get my hands on those products to sell, I was well off. I had a good life for a few years. I was 24 years old and living in a high scale apartment in Dublin. I left Kinsale when my face started to be known. I used a fake name back then, I went by Declan Dolan. Nobody knew my real name or my face. I always wore a thick coat during my transactions and I hid my brogue. It was better off that way. I was more protected.

"I was at a local pub one day, watching the new batch of ships come in on the harbor when a woman approached me. She was beautiful, she had thick blonde hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. She was from London and she told me she had just arrived on a ship and was looking for a hotel her family had provided for her. I was a gentleman so I told her I would show her the way. Little did I know she knew who I was. I showed her the way to her hotel and when she invited me inside of course I took the offer. I had nothing else to do. I was a wealthy single man living in Dublin who stole for a living. My priorities weren't much.

"We went inside her room and that's when I saw multiple men in there. I assumed she was a swinger and I wasn't into that so I tried to leave. Someone must have knocked me out because when I woke up, I was chained to a wall in Manchester, England. I was in that dark and desolate from for nine days. They gave me no food or water. I didn't see anybody either. The only reason I knew it was a new day was due to an older gentleman that walked by everyday whistling a small Irish tune. I assumed we were still in Ireland and one of my enemies had used this woman as a ploy to get to me.

"That's when Kendall came into the picture. One day four he was shoved into the same cell as me and we were stuck in there together. He was annoying as hell at first. He kept asking me questions about how we were going to get out. I was an independent man I liked to do things on my own so Kendall asking me all these questions was just making my anger worse. I was glad when they finally cane to get me the hell away from him. They took me through this vast castle into a thrown room and there she was.

"She was still absolutely beautiful, only then she was dressed in a powder blue ballgown that the monarchs would wear during the 18th century. She smiled when they knelt me down before her. I stayed like that for a while, she kept asking me questions about my life and I kept answering them. Then she made them take me away. I was worried I was going back to that cell but instead she sent me to a room. She had me bathed and fed and put into a nice warm bed where I slept for nearly three days.

"When she summoned me again it was to the dungeons. I saw Kendall, he looked better also. We were both dressed in all white clothing. She made us both kneel before her and that's when she bit us both. I had never felt pain like that before. It was excruciating. I thought I was dying, like my insides were burning. It stopped after a few hours. My memory fades after that. I remember waking up one day and she had taken us to a whore house and instructed us to pick one out. She paid the woman at the door and the whores came with us. And then she taught us to feed. I couldn't do it at first. I didn't have the strength to kill an innocent person. She struck both of us when we denied her. She told us we weren't allow to tell her no. That she was our queen and we did as she said so.

"It continued from there. We fed off of humans with her for years. My fondness for Kendall grew and we were brothers. We cared for each other a lot. Many of her other familiars always tried to wedge a hammer between the two of us but Amaretti always stopped it. Deep down she liked that we were so close. When our powers manifested that when I knew she was manipulating us. She only wanted us for our powers. Being an enforcer is a rare thing. She didn't have a familiar with that power yet and she was going to utilize me."

"What exactly is an enforcer?" Barrett asked, in a daze from his story.

"An enforced has the ability to use his strength to get information out of someone. He also has the power to give ultimate punishments. I can take a body part off of somebody with fully killing them. I know how to give someone unlimited suffrage. We're the strongest of our kind. The only thing that can destroy an enforcer is another enforcer. She used my power with Kendall physical empathy to get the answers she wanted out of our enemies. I would use my powers to deteriorate their bodies and Kendall would take their pain away and give it back.

"It was an exhausting thing to do to someone and eventually they always caved. At one point she told us we were her favorites and she loved us the most. That's ultimately what led to her demise. She wanted an alpha but a consort can only have one. She couldn't choose between Kendall and I and we weren't going to choose for her. She left one day and went to Russia. She was gone for weeks and then when she came back there was another familiar with her. His name was Ivar. She had made him her alpha while she was gone. We weren't upset, we didn't have the right to be. She chose who she wanted to have as her alpha.

"She chose the wrong alpha thought. Ivar was jealous of all of her other familiars and he started to kill them off one by one. Amaretti didn't believe Kendall and I when we told her. She accused us of being jealous that Ivar was her alpha. When Kendall and I were her only familiars she started to believe us. But it was too late. Ivar had already taken over. His alpha powers had manifested so much that she believed he was the only one for her. The night Amaretti and Ivar tried to kill Kendall and I was the second worst night of my life."

"Second?"

"The worst night of my life was you dying in my arms." Barrett bite her bottom lip and looked down.

"Ivar tortured me for hours while Kendall watched. Kendall tried his best to take the pain away from me but you know when he takes the pain away someone has to feel it. Amaretti is a shield and a healer. She was able to protect her and Ivar so the only other person left to feel it was Kendall. Ivar wasn't an enforcer though so he couldn't kill me. No matter how hard he tried. When he went after Kendall, I lost it. I tried to kill him but Amaretti kept his protected enough. He was barely alive when I was done and Amaretti was exhausted from saving him. That gave us the chance to escape. I took Kendall to a doctor who treated our kind in Montreal, Canada and we stayed native to the area for years. We were with her from 1832 to 1946. We didn't know what to do with ourselves.

"So, we were exploring for years. We worked with wildlife and in the wilderness. We oved around a lot and didn't get to know a lot of people. Kendall and I lived our lives together for years, just enjoying life. And then we were in the States one day and Kendall suggested we go to that bar in Sioux Falls. That's when we met you. I had never been drawn to someone more in my entire life then I was to you Barrett. Everything about you was perfect, with your whiskey colored eyes and auburn hair we couldn't stay away. I couldn't stay away. Amaretti told us she loved us but we never were able to say it back to her.

"Then you said my name in your sleep one night when we were together. It was in the beginning when you kept going on dates with us then avoiding eye contact for the next few days. The way you said my name made me know that we were meant for each other. The day you said 'I love you' was the day I knew that I would never share my life with anyone else unless it was you. My vow to keep you protected it still prevalent. If Amaretti knows where Kendall and I are that means she knows about you and Kian and Morgan as well. That also means Ivar knows about us and he's a dangerous man. I will never let him touch you. I promise."

Barrett threw herself at Maverick. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist clutching tightly onto him. "I'm so sorry for accusing you of leaving me. I was so scared. I thought I had lost you forever."

Maverick sighed in relief and wrapped his arms around her body, burying his face in her hair and inhaling her beautiful scent. "I understand. She did that as a ploy to distract us from one another. She wants to cause distance between the two of us. I don't know what she wants. It's been 72 years." Barrett pulled back so she could see Maverick and the other familiars surrounding them.

"Open it," She instructed taking the gift from Kendall's hands. He shifted her so that she was now sitting on his left thigh. He began tearing the paper off the small box present. Inside was a black box with a gold insignia on it. He lifted the lid. Inside was a piece of parchment and a massive matte black ring and two smaller silver bands. She heard Maverick's breath catch.

"What is it?"

He held up the two silver bands and showed her. "These were my fathers. I wore them all the time. She took them from me when I was captured. I haven't seen them in so long." She watched as he twirled the dual rings between his fingers before placing both of the rings on his right thumb.

"What's this one?" She asked pointing to the black one.

"It's the ring I wore when I would fight or punish people. I don't want it. It was something she made me wear, as a symbol of her ownership. I hoped I would never see that again. It's her idea of some sort of sick joke."

"There's something else in here," Morgan interrupted. He pulled out a long silver chain with three triangle pendants on the end.

"That's mine!" Kendall stood up and took the necklace from Morgan, running his fingers over the pendant. He brought it up to his lips and kissed his before placing it around his neck.

"She would take the things that mean the most to you," Maverick whispered in her ear.

"What is that Kendall?"

He smiled. "It was a necklace my sister gave me before she passed away. She and I were the last of our family to survive. My dad left when we were small children and it was only ever just her, my mother and I. I thought I would never see this again."

"Why did she send these back to you two?"

"It's her way of saying she still loves us. Every time she took something meaningful from her familiars, she always destroyed them. I had thought forever she had destroyed my necklace. She made the comment when I first met her about how hideous it was." Kendall looked tense. He was angry about something.

Barrett stayed quiet, not knowing what else to say. Maverick rose from beneath her and set her on the couch in between Kendall's legs. She instinctively leaned back into his embrace as they all watched Maverick walk over to the fireplace. He looked at the box the black ring was in for a moment, running his fingers over the jewels, then threw it into the fire and turned the knob so the flames grew higher.

"If she knows my real name then she knows a lot more about us then I thought she did. I never told her my name was Maverick, she always called me Declan." Maverick still had his back turned to the group.

"Do you think she knows about the prophecy?" Kian asked. Everyone had been thinking it, she could hear how worried all of them were in their thoughts.

"Aye."

"What do we do?"

Maverick turned around and sighed again. "We can't stay here. She knows where we are. We have to leave, again."

Barrett nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"You're not going to fight this?" Kendall asked as he quirked his eyebrow. Before she was able to respond there was a knock at the front door. The four men in the room quickly rose from their seats and stood up. The only noise in the room was the sound of the chair that Morgan had been sitting in smacking the floor.

"Who is that?"

Mavericks phone began to ring, Dillion's name was on the caller ID.

"Yes?"

"Sir, there's a man at the front. We have him surrounded but he's advising that he knows you. I don't trust it."

"What's his name?"

"Marcus Alrick." Maverick's eyes widened.

"Let him in."

"What?!" Kendall and Kian said in sync. Barrett rose from the couch and stood at Maverick's side.

 _He would never allow anybody inside he didn't trust. Let's just see who it is._

A few moments later a man that seemed to be in his late twenties rounded the corner. He had long curly brown hair that ended at his shoulders and a beard. He wore dark jeans and a sweatshirt with a thick tan jacket on top. On his back was a large black backpack. Barrett eyed his suspiciously. He was very intimidating and for a moment Barrett was worried.

"Marcus?" Kendall gasped.

The man smiled warmly dropping his bag to the ground. "Look at you!" He had a thick Scottish accent, with distinguishing differences from Morgan and Maverick's Irish one. Kendall stalked towards the man and embraced him warmly.

"What are you doing here?"

 _Marcus_ had a crooked smile etched across his face. "I'm a tracker. What do you think I'm doing here? I've been looking for the lot of you." He turned his attention to Maverick. "Mav, I see you haven't changed a bit. Always picking the most beautiful women in the room to be with." Barrett blushed at his comment.

She extended her hand. "And you must be Marcus."

"Aye, and you must be Barrett, I've heard a lot about you but nothing from any of the likes of these men."

She turned around quickly to face Maverick. "I guess that answers your question." Marcus raised an eyebrow in question.

"So, you've heard of the prophecy?"

"Aye, everyone has. It's all they talk about around Manchester."

"Manchester? You've been there?"

"Aye, getting information on what all Amaretti knows. It's no secret that you're the alpha of her. Everyone knows, they know about Kendall too. Amaretti is pissed. Even more pissed then Ivar and Aleksandr."

"Aleksandr?"

"That's Amaretti's other familiar. She only has the two. But I got to warn you Maverick, he's far worse then Ivar is. He's got these powers I've never seen before. He can make you feel as if you're human. I've experienced it and it isn't pleasant."

"What do you mean make you feel human?" Barrett swallowed heavy at her own question.

"It's almost like you aren't a vampire anymore. He can take your powers away for a while and prevent your body from healing. He isn't an enforcer, he's much worse. I've never met anyone like him before. I'm not even sure if he's truly a vampire. It's more like he's a sorcerer, but I've seen him feed off of humans. Some say he's a hybrid form of some sort. Rumor has it he's looking for the lot of you for killing his brother, Sigurd."

"His brother?!"

"Aye, apparently he sent him over here to get information from you and he never returned. They don't have proof if he's dead or not but they all assume."

Barrett closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Amaretti sent someone to kill her and it happened to be one of her familiars' brothers. "He's dead."

Marcus went wide eyed. "So, it's true, you did kill him?"

"He tried to kill me. He almost succeed."

"I thought the prophecy said you were one of the strongest of our kind?"

Morgan intervened. "She was ascending. You know as well as anybody else that you're at your weakest when you ascend."

"Well what's your power lass?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure yet."

"I think one of her powers is the ability to hide her presence."

Barrett turned to Morgan. "What do you mean?"

"When you went and found Maverick a few hours ago we couldn't hear you or feel your presence. You didn't want us to know you were sneaking out to look for him. It took a few minutes for me to realize that I couldn't feel you. It was very strange."

She bit her lip, "I didn't even realize I was doing it. I just kept hoping that neither of you would hear me trying to sneak out of the house."

Kendall scoffed. "Well it worked."

Marcus looked back at Barrett. "Know of anything else?" She shook her head back and forth.

"What are you doing here Marcus?" Maverick finally asked.

He knelt down and grabbed a roll of parchment from his backpack handing it to the alpha in front of him. "I know what Amaretti has planned. I stole this from her castle. It's everything she knows about the lot of you. I needed to tell you. I couldn't let her blindside you like she blindsided me. From the things I've heard about Barrett she sounds like she's good for our kind. We need someone with her kind heartedness. If anything, it might help our kind better ourselves."

"Do you need place to stay?"

"Aye, I've been traveling for days. It would be nice to sleep in a bed for once."

Barrett smiled warmly, "You can stay with us for as long as you need."


End file.
